


Feel Safer In your Arms

by Bam4Me



Series: The Big Ageplay Guns [1]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: Ageplay, Daddy!Rhodey, Fluff, How They Became Daddy/little, Little!Tony, M/M, MIT Era, Nightmares, Non-Sexual Age Play, Prequel, thumb sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 03:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6453775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bam4Me/pseuds/Bam4Me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes people ask how Rhodey and Tony got together, a relationship that lasts over twenty-five years is rare, after all. But, Tony and Rhodey tell them it was best friends to lovers, to just plain love. After all, that's the story they WANT people to hear.</p>
<p>This, is the actual one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel Safer In your Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Last night, I couldn't get to sleep, and so I accidentally created an entire verse for this series, and in it, Pepper and Happy are also Iron Heros, and they protect the west coast, since that's where SI headquarters are, and also, Bucky got found before Steve got frozen, and they BOTH ended up going down in the plane together, so they both got found at the same time.
> 
> Also, Clint and Tony build entire cities out of leggos. It's amazing. Bruce is the bestest babysitter ever.
> 
> Come talk to me about shit here: http://avengersnonsexualageplay.tumblr.com/

“Tony, Tony, please, wake up kid, you’re having a bad dream.”

 

Tony came up off the bed with a gasp, turning frantic eyes around the dorm room that him and Rhodey shared. He finally settled on Rhodey, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, and let out a strangled sob. Rhodey cooed at him a little, pulling the sixteen year old into his arms. Tony gave a few token protests, but overall let Rhodey wrap him up in his stupidly large arms and cuddle him.

 

Rhodey knew that Tony wouldn’t admit it under threat of death, but the younger could be surprisingly clingy when he got startled.

 

Rhodey ran a big hand up and down the teen’s back. “Hey, buddy, you’ve been having a lot of bad dreams lately, haven’t you?” Tony nodded into Rhodey’s collarbone, still trying desperately to pull in gulps of air while the adrenaline finally started leaving his body.

 

He was lucky as hell that Rhodey was his dorm mate this year. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to take another year of bad dreams in a room where he just got yelled at and dirty looks from roommates who couldn’t sleep while he had them. He damn near burnt himself out the year before, constantly falling asleep in class or lab, or just plain crashing on Rhodey’s bed on nights when he’d burnt out the worst, and couldn’t go on without another nap.

 

Those were the best nights. The ones when he was squished up against Rhodey’s chest while the older teen kept any bad dreams away, because Rhodey was a cuddler, and Tony never had nightmares in his arms.

 

Tony felt the rest of the fight leave his body, and sagged tiredly against Rhodey’s chest. “I’m sorry.”

 

Rhodey kept cooing in that nice way that made Tony feel better than when Jarvis used to cuddle him and tell him his pictures were amazing. It made him feel better than when Aunt Peggy and Uncle Tim let him stay with them on holidays, because his own fucking parents never had time for him. That’s okay, he liked them and their families better than his own anyways.

 

But Rhodey made him feel better than all that. Rhodey didn’t care about him because he was his friend’s son, or because he had pretty much raised him as Jarvis had. He cared… Tony didn’t know why he cared, but it made him happy.

 

He knew Rhodey wasn’t looking for money, because he couldn’t care less about Tony’s name, and no one looking for a pay up would stick with him through this many sleepless nights.

 

“It’s okay, Tony. It’s okay, you’re safe here. I don’t know what’s causing this many nightmares, buddy, but something’s gotta give.”

 

Tony felt his stomach sink, and could just barely pull back enough to look at Rhodey, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’ll be quieter, please don’t move out!”

 

Rhodey’s eyes were wide, before he got a sad look on his face. “That’s not what I meant, kiddo, I just mean that maybe we should sleep in the same bed. You don’t get nightmares when we’re in the same bed.”

 

Tony sighed in relief, and Rhodey felt a bit like a dick for a second at the relief. “Okay. You’re not leaving though, right?”

 

Rhodey shook his head, sliding down the mattress till him and Tony were in a sleep able position. Tony caught a glance at the clock in the room and vaguely noted that it wasn’t even one in the morning yet. Neither of them needed to be up till eight, hopefully, Rhodey wouldn’t be too tired in the morning. “I’m not going anywhere, kiddo. You’re stuck with me now.”

 

Tony nodded, and laid his head on Rhodey’s chest, listening to the steady heartbeat while his hand wandered towards his mouth. His thumb slipped in and he closed his eyes, falling back to sleep much quicker than normal after a nightmare like that.

 

Rhodey didn’t miss that at all.

 

***

 

After that, Tony came back to the dorm the next day and immediately raised an eyebrow at the changes. “I miss something?”

 

Rhodey shrugged. He was straightening up the clutter on his desk and Tony’s was suspiciously untouched, except for trash being removed and his pens put back into the cup at the top of it. Their beds were pushed together, which Tony had to admit, really cleared up a good part of the room. “I just thought this would clear up some space. You gotta admit, it’ll be nice for nights when it’s cold, too.”

 

Tony cautiously took off his bag and put it on the bed -which was no longer individually made either, one large sheet on it, and a larger set of blankets. He just hoped Rhodey used Tony’s card to do that, because Tony has more money than most people, and he knew that Rhodey liked the idea of spending stupid amounts of rich old white people money. The blankets were soft, and Tony knew it wasn’t some crappy brand either, it was the good stuff. He must have used Tony’s card, because Rhodey didn’t have enough money on hand to buy that.

 

For a moment, Rhodey thought he was going to apologize about keeping him up last night again, and before Rhodey could beat him to the reassurances, Tony climbed onto the bed, and shoved his face into one of the  _ new, soft _ pillows. He turned to look at Rhodey with big eyes. “Come lay down with me? I’m tired.”

 

Rhodey nodded, scrambling to get into the bed behind him, on the mattress pushed up against the wall, and immediately pulled the younger boy against his chest. Tony just sighed in exhaustion, one hand coming up to his mouth like it had the night before, the tip of his index finger sliding in as his eyes closed.

 

This was better. A lot better.

 

***

 

Tony was almost as cuddly as Rhodey was now days. Of course, Rhodey knew he just had to get the boy used to sleeping next to someone at night.

 

Nightmares happened less and less. They still came up, but Tony and Rhodey were actually able to sleep often enough that they didn’t miss classes anymore, and Tony could get his projects done right away.

 

“Rhodey, you’re mean.”

 

Rhodey raised an eye at the pouting boy. “You’re covered in mud. How is trying to make you clean again,  _ mean _ ?”

 

Tony was sitting in the bath tub right now. This was one of those fancy ‘one bathroom for every two students’ dorms, which is nice, because it had  _ not _ been that way for the last two years when he wasn’t living with Tony. Rhodey actually kept their bathroom clean too, and when Tony had come in, damn near caked with mud and grime, the older boy hadn’t hesitated to strip him down and force him into a tub of hot water.

 

Tony pouted harder. He was sitting under the thick layer of bubbles, and so Rhodey wasn’t even being improper, he couldn’t see anything if he tried. He scrubbed down Tony’s left arm, trying to get rid of the mud before the wunderkind got a fucking rash from it, because Tony got a rash from anything not water being anywhere near his skin. When he laid out on the grass in the courtyard with short sleeved shirts on, he came back in with red skin.

 

Tony grumbled a little at the rough treatment, and so Rhodey softened his hold on the boy, giving him enough room to squirm in the water.

 

“Come on, bug, stop that. You’re getting water everywhere.”

 

Tony scowled at him, and squirmed again. Rhodey just sighed and moved on the cleaning the other half of the dirty boy. “How’d you even get muddy anyways?”

 

Tony looked away, “Fell.”

 

‘Fell’, usually meant, ‘got pushed’ but Rhodey wasn’t going to ask further. Tony needed someone to pick him up when he fell over, not someone to get angry at the sidewalk that tripped him. Getting mad at whoever was bothering him, as long as it wasn’t happening continuously, would just rile Tony up and make him feel like a little boy who couldn’t take care of himself.

 

...kind of like, giving him a bath when he was dirty, maybe?

 

“Hey kiddo, I’m sorry about this, but really, you need to clean up when you’re this messy, otherwise you’ll get sick.”

 

Tony looked over at him with a pout, “Thank’s,  _ Dad _ .”

 

Rhodey got a tense smile on his face. He didn’t like Tony’s father, and to be honest, getting compared to him just made him want to punch something. “Don’t sass me, bug.”

 

Tony looked contrite, but only just. “Sorry.”

 

Rhodey grabbed the shampoo off the ledge and poured a good size dollop into his palm. “Come on, head back, please.”

 

Tony did as he was asked, but scowled, “There’s no mud in my  _ hair, _ Rhodey.”

 

Rhodey nodded, “I know that, but I doubt you’re going to take a shower later, since I’m doing it for you now.”

 

Tony was quiet, but didn’t argue that.

 

When he was finished, Rhodey cupped a hand over Tony’s eyes to keep the suds out of them, using the other hand to keep him tilted back and rinse the rest of the water out. “Okay bug, you’re all done. Pull the plug for me, kay?”

 

Rhodey got up to grab one of the towels out from under the sink, and heard Tony getting out of the water behind him. He turned around and wrapped the towel around Tony’s shoulders, immediately scrubbing the water away. Tony seemed surprised, but didn’t argue, leaning into his hands as Rhodey went.

 

“You’d make a great parent. I think.”

 

Rhodey paused a little, before getting up from where he was finishing rubbing Tony’s legs dry, and paused a few seconds before using the towel to get the water out of the curly hair. “Uh, thanks, kiddo.”

 

Tony nodded, face a little blank.

 

***

 

Tony was cute when he slept. At least, he was cute when he was sleeping  _ peacefully _ . Rhodey liked it when he slept peacefully.

 

Rhodey thought about grabbing his camera to take a picture of Tony right now, but he’d have to get the film developed, and Tony would kick his ass if he saw the pictures.

 

Tony had one thumb firmly lodged in his mouth, while he curled his body around the pillow mound that Rhodey had moved to his spot so he could get out of bed and eat without waking him up.

 

Rhodey sighed and reached out, gently nudging Tony’s shoulder. “Come on, bug, wake up. If you don’t, you’ll stay up too late tonight and never be up in time for class tomorrow.”

 

Tony squirmed on the bed, and squinted one eye open to glare at his friend. “No, Daddy, more sleep.”

 

Tony’s eyes shut again, and Rhodey held his breath for the few seconds it took for Tony to realize what he said.

 

Tony immediately sat up, looking like he was going to cry as he backed himself up into the corner of the bed against the wall, looking horrified. Rhodey was shocked at the word, but he obviously didn’t think it was as awful of a thing as Tony did. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling Tony against his side.

 

“Hey, bug, don’t cry. I know, you didn’t mean to say that, it was an accident, wasn’t it?”

 

Tony bit his lower lip, and slowly started to nod. “Yeah.”

 

Rhodey nodded, “I bet. But, Tony, do you  _ need _ me to be ‘Daddy’ though? Because I don’t think I mind nearly as much as you think I do.”

 

Tony looked up with wide eyes, studying Rhodey’s features for a few minutes, that felt like a small lifetime to Rhodey. Cautiously, Tony started nodding again. Rhodey gave him a blinding smile at that. “Okay, that’s perfectly fine, Tony, I don’t mind at all. Thank you for being honest.”

 

Tony cautiously returned the smile and buried his face in Rhodey’s chest, still not quite able to look him in the eye.

 

This is much, much better.

**Author's Note:**

> http://avengersnonsexualageplay.tumblr.com/
> 
> I know, it's kind of a crappy start, but I SUCK at 'how they got together' fics, and I TRIED, so stop looking at me like that! Tony is adorable, and needs many cuddles, and reassurances.


End file.
